I am looking at a 1985 CT 35 and was wondering what opinions are of that make and model. I assume this is just another Taiwanese builder, do they have a good reputation? Ford with 1600 hours seems too good to be true and fiberglass decks.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good trawler surveyor in the Newport News area?

CT Built mostly sailboats but as with many of these builders, they dabbled a bit in trawlers. The boats were typically overbuilt with lots of fiberglass but with the typical Taiwan boat issues. A good surveyor THAT IS FAMILIAR with the boats will make a big difference. Be sure and do a thorough "interview" before hiring one. You shouldn't have any problem find one in that area. Start with BoatUS and ask for their list of surveyors. 1600 hours on the engine just means it wasn't used much. That isn't always a good thing with a diesel. You also want to hire an engine mechanic to do an engine survey and sea trial. Don't depend on the boat surveyor for that. Good luck. Chuck